


Smallville: X-Men: A Side Story

by Georsama



Series: Smallville: X-men [2]
Category: DCU, Superman - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Violence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-08-25 14:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16662907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Georsama/pseuds/Georsama
Summary: While Evan is putting his past to rest and Clark is starting a future with Emma, Logan is revisiting his own memories.





	1. Chapter 1

Smallville: X-Men  
A Side Story  
-Memories-  
Pt. 1  
by Geor-sama

  


* * *

  
_Bayville, NY - Xavier Institute, Secure Subbasement..._  
  
  


In the most isolated area of the high-tech subbasement were two titanium doors. Behind these magnetically sealed doors existed a utilitarian and soundproof room. A room designed for the express purpose for treating any mutant who could prove a danger to others.

So far the only guest to visit this room had been Logan.

Logan took a steadying breath. Fought his instincts as he focused on the sterile white ceiling. Tried to ignore the thick metal cuffs that secured him to the exam table.

"Are you ready for this?" Charles asked, tone grave.

Logan nodded.

Charles said nothing, growing still. Logan remained quiet knowing from past experience the telepath had to center himself. Charles expected the memories they were going after to buried deep. Deeper than any of the scant few they had ever recovered before.

Eventually Logan became aware of the gentle touch of the Professor's mind. Logan tried to keep his mind blank, but he could not hope that stirred. If this worked he would at last stop being so paranoid around Clark.

 _{Relax, close your eyes, and remember how Clark smells. Concentrate on that scent and only that scent. Concentrate on the smell Logan. The texture and strange familiarity, let your mind go. Think, go back, always thinking about that scent.}_  
  
A moment of faint vertigo washed over him as he followed the man's directions. Then the nightmare, his one constant returned.

The military lab loomed over him. Crazy instruments. Bottles, machines, tanks of fluid. Bright lights filled the ceiling over him. Belts held him down... Someone in a mask was drawing on him, laying out his skeleton with a blue pen. Their eyes full of coldness and intellect. He fought against the belts, straining to break free and kill them all. Scalpels cut. Pain! And cut. Pain! And cut. Unbearable pain! His bed lowered and scalding liquid washed over him and he tried to scream. The liquid filled his every pore, touching his every nerve with hot tips of agony. Creeping and unstoppable. A black figure loomed in his vision-

 _{Logan.}_ A strong voice said, breaking into the memory, shattering it. _{Logan, it is only a memory, it cannot hurt you now. It only has power over you if you allow it.}_

In the wake of the voice the nightmare receded Leaving darkness and clam. Leaving Logan, briefly, at peace.

_{Remember the scent, only the scent. Where did you first experience it?}_

Logan jerked as if thrust forward on an abruptly moving roller coaster Faster and faster, climbing higher and higher. The invisible roller coaster peaked and then he plunged downward with impossible velocity -

* * *

"You know, this place ain't half bad." Victor said, idly using his finger nail to carve a pattern into the top of their table.

"Ain't exactly thrilled comin' to a place that just got over that damn plague." James growled, glancing up from his newspaper to eye their surroundings.

Open shops filled with odd goods lined the small street, as Chinese immigrants passed to and fro. They seemed oblivious to them, but James knew better. He and Victor stuck out like sore thumbs even in the best of circumstances. So sitting at one of the outdoor restaurants in an all Chinese section of a city made it impossible to miss them.

"Meh, plague, bullets, knifes. We've lived through it all before."

"Doesn't make it pleasant." James growled, while his brother barked a laugh.

"So, anything in the paper?" Victor asked, his attention shifting from his carving and to a passing waitress.

Clearly Victor had things on his mind other than finding the missing locals or Raven. For a brief moment Logan considered punching him, but decided against it. That last thing they needed to do would be starting fighting. At least right then.

"No." James grunted. "The only thing their talkin' about is some mountain in Naples blowing its top. Nothing about local disappearances or anything useful for finding her."

"Think maybe we should ask the locals?"

"Eventually." James bit out, revisiting his idea of punching his brother. "I want to check out where Raven was staying again, see if we missed anything last time."

Victor laughed. "You still think she didn't give your 'gringo' ass the mitten?"

James growled, eyes narrowing but the impending fight fell to the way side when a new scent filled the area. Something completely and powerfully alien. It did not take them long to locate the source - a man and a woman standing in the middle of the street.

The silence was instantaneous.

The man wore the latest fashion, had his hair neatly combed, and looked intense. The woman was more distinctive. Shorter than anyone else on the street. Snow white hair pulled into a tight ponytail, and a granite hard expression. She also wore one of those new 'car coats', buttoned from ankle to neck.

Without a word he and Victor got up, and froze when the woman's head snapped around to stare at them. It almost seemed like her eyes glowed before she looked away to scan the rest of the street.

After a minute she started to speak, her voice carrying a strange accent and pitched to carry.

"Jiak kij mala kil-gor ro Raugz ukhard nauk-preukenavaumn avhe rulaumn Kashaul ro krypavon jiak kij katu shal nauk-garduk avo avhe kroloavean preukence auk lat ayh shal violaavion ro avhe inaverference clauuke auk raavifiun afar avhe rimbor accorduk avhiuk planeav iuk proavecavun um lat do noav anukwas avhiuk liwo auavhorize mausan uuke ro pardahun jiak awaiav latr nauk-ukponuke"

Nobody moved. Except for an older Chinese man. He shifted his weight and drew their attention.

“⑄ ∝" The woman shouted in yet another foreign language.

The old man broke into a run, shoving a woman and her child into the road but his escape came to an abrupt end. Without any hint of motion or effort the woman appeared directly in his path. Her hand clenched around his throat and holding him a good three feet off the ground.  


"Curuke lat Celeukavial!" The man shouted before opening his mouth wide and emitting a blast of some kind.

The greenish-yellow light engulfed her and the building behind her.

The building crumbled away like a tornado hit it. The woman remained untouched. The only sign the blast had hit her were the few smouldering strips left of her car coat.

Rather than leave her naked, the loss of the coat revealed odd clothes. A two-toned high collared dark armor, with blue sections wrapped around the waist to suggest a belt. On her impressive chest was a silver pentagon bearing what looked like a star.

Several voices cried 'Asura!' and the street turned into pandemonium. After a few minutes only a five of them remained. James, his brother, the two strangers, and the gremlin.

"Wauk avhaav neceukukarausan kroloavean." The woman said before wrenching his head off. Instead of gushing blood there came a series of sparks from now exposed wires. The body went limp and she tossed the head aside before prying open the chest. Her hand disappeared inside before she yanked out a sobbing goblin-like creature. "naru avhaav avhaav iuk ouav ro avhe waausan nalkramal iuk latr ukhip"

"Da avo skator!" the goblin-like creature spat, voice trembling with fear.

"Lat kroloavean ayh zemarpak avhough ukmarav lat graukp exacavpak whaav ij krypavonian saib do uko jiak aukk um lat avhink iav wiuke avo inukulav ni par ij avaukk leav nalt ni avhaav ro avo avhe Raugz ukhard" The woman asked, and despite the language barrier her anger came through loud and clear.

"Parmab avhe weukav coaukav whaav avhe Humans bugd Mussel Rock vhaav'uk gith jiak'll ukaausan um lat wanav ma avhan avrausan agh purukue avhe emiukukionuk" the goblin like creature said after a moment, pointing to the south-west disheartened.

"Avhank lat iav iuk appreciaavun" The woman said, flicking it between the eyes with a finger. She gave a quick shake then nodded dropping it at her feet.

* * *

The memory shattered, became a chaotic mass of sight, smells, noise, pain. Puzzle pieces with no reason, connection, or framework. Blood. Explosions. Agony. Desperation. Love. Then it all swirled down, down, down and -

* * *

"I apologize in advance as your languages are limited. My name is Seyg-El and this is Mala Kil-Gor, we are not from here and possess vast senses and abilities. One of which allows us to perceive different types of energy. Every species has an energy field, a, a bio-energy? Yes that works. Think of this bio-energy as a kind of radio wave, if that helps. As such each species has a specific broadcast signal and we can see these broadcast signals."

"That explains how you knew about that...what the hell was that thing anyway?" James asked.

Seyg-El and Mala Kil-Gor shared a look, something seeming to pass between them. Then Mala Kil-Gor answered. "That creature is known as a Krolotean. It is not from here either."

James snorted, annoyed. "Still doesn't tell us what it is."

"You get addle-headed when I wasn't looking? I think it's pretty obvious what they mean when they say not from around here. Their like those moon-men in that photoplay."

James stared at his brother, wondering if he had lost it.

"Essentially correct." Mala Kil-Gor said. "We are from a world called Krypton. The Kroloteans are from another world called Krolotea."

James stared at the man and then the woman, before shrugging. Right, so aliens. Not the craziest thing he had and Victor had dealt with.

"Great. Now you going to tell us why the hell you kept staring at us?" Victor asked.

"Your bio-energy signal, it marks you as part of the next step in human development. You're appearance falls outside of the standard expectations." Seyg-El said.

James frowned. "And why are we outside your expectations?"

"Every species goes through development phases, adapting to the world around them. In normal circumstances your world would have already gone through this phase, but it has not. But that was expected given the difficulties of your planets early years. Precursors such as yourselves were not expected to appear until much later. You're early development is a deviance we had not anticipated."

"Pst, did you understand any of that?" Victor whispered.

James grunted he had, or at least he got the gist of it. Something happened when they were a bunch of cavemen screwed them all up. But he had bigger things to worry about than what happened back then. Like if their being here had something to do with Raven going missing. "So why are you here?"

"We have our reasons, and they do not concern you." Mala Kil-Gor said. "As for the Kroloteans, Seyg?"

The man frowned, his gaze shifting between James and Victor, eyes glowing. Then his frown grew deeper. "Yes, I believe your earlier hypotheses is correct. It is the fact that humans have started to recover ahead of schedule that drew the Kroloteans."

"Why?" James asked.

"As we said, your species had problems early in your development. It was not a natural occurrence, but rather because an older race decided to experiment. The intent was to first trigger an early evolution and guide it toward their desired result. The experiment ended with them ruining their race and crippling yours in the process."

"They were foolish children that should have known better and the Guardians should still be ashamed for letting it happen." Mala Kil-Gor said, angry.

"Mala." Seyg-El said, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. The woman relaxed and he turned his attention to them. "As for why your development drew the Kroloteans, they do doubt wish to accomplish a similar task. For now they study you, trying to understand how your race has recovered so quickly. Later they will begin to manipulate it to further their research. What they learn they will then attempt to apply to their own race, in an attempt to advanced their own species evolution. However, since they are barely older than your species the results will be even more catastrophic than what the Chiturai attempted."

Mala Kil-Gor gave a harsh laugh. "Clearly the Guardians no longer consider the affairs of toddlers a priority.

"Toddlers?" Victor asked, voice dropping into a growl.

Seyg-El sighed, before explaining. "From our perspective, it could be seen that way. Our world, as well as the Guardians home world of Oa, are among the first worlds to develop life four hundred thousand years after the universe began. Earth and Krolotea did not form until nine billion years after the universe began."

* * *

The memory twisted and tore. It all became random words and concepts, beyond his grasp. All of it too much and too painful. Then it all started to slither back into place -

* * *

"Are you certain you two wish to do this?" Seyg-El asked.

"We said we would help so that's what we're going to do." Victor said, giving the Kryptonian a savage grin. "Besides, my goop of a brother has his girl in there."

James shot Victor a look, they would be having words later if they survived. Not that Victor had been wrong, there was every chance that the Kroloteans had taken Raven. But he had not come just because of that. He refused to let these green bastards do whatever they wanted with Earth.

"Then remember your task is only to recover any humans they have abducted." Mala Kil-Gor said. "If there are none, or if none survived, then you leave."

"Give it a rest, we know." Victor growled, rolling his eyes.

"⑀ ≗" Mala Kil-Gor sighed, looking over at Seyg. "⊸⌻⊬ ≠ ╽╿⍢⌻⍚╹╽╿┌ ⋄╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ⍤〡╽╿⍢╹╽╿⊨ ┌╽╿⊸⌺⊨ ⍢⌏∾⌻⍚⑆⋄ ⍚⌻┌⌏⊸╹╽╿┌ ≟"

"╽╿⍚⌻ ⍢⌻⍚ ╽╿⌍∙╽╿⑆ ⌑╽╿⍚⌀ ╹╽╿⍚⌻⌺⑆ ﹌ ╽╿⊸╹╽╿∎╽⌻⍚⍘ ╽╿∎╽ ≈ ≆ ⋣⑇⋄ ╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ⋣╽╿⍤〡╽╿⌻⍚ ⍚⌀╹╽╿ ≗" Seyg-El said, studying the spaceship.

Mala Kil-Gor laughed. "╽╿⌍∙ ⌑╽╿⍚⌀ ⋄╽╿⊸ ╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ﹌ ╽∎⌺⋄╽╿ ⌠⌾⌡ ⌻⍚╽╿⌏╽╿╽∎⌺⑆ ⌡⌽⌠ ⍤〡╽╿⌏┌⊬ ⌺┌ ⍚⌀╽╿⋄╽╿⍘ ⌌ ⋩ ≗"

That said, she floated up and forward, slamming a powerful fist into the metal door.

The reverberation was deafening as the metal buckle. Grinning she grabbed the sides of the warped metal and tugged. The metal tore with a deafening squeal. Shifting her grip Mala Kil-Gor heaved again, widening the opening. Without a word Mala floated through the opening.

James started to follow, as did Victor, only to have Seyg-El place a hand on their shoulders. "Give her a moment."

"I've had just about-" Victor snarled only to have a thunderous noise, like the mother of all cannons, cut him off.

A heavy brass thrum came next, before an explosion rocked the rock they were standing on. Strong enough that it knocked James and Victor off their feet. They got up only for a wave of heat like from a blast furnace to come snarling out of the opening Mala Kil-Gor had made.

Not too long after that a horrible wailing filled the air before dying out seconds later.

"Now we may proceed." Seyg-El said, floating past them.

James shared a look with his brother. Victor offered a tight smile before they followed the Kryptonian inside. They stepped into the middle of devastation. Steaming puddles of something oil-thick and copper-colored covered the ground. In the middle of the floor sat a large melted heap of metal that could only have been the cannon. The walls bowed, covered with holes, with parts melting to slag. Across from where the entrance a roughly man sized opening with melting edges waited.

Stepping through, James entered a hall with dark yellow lighting and Seyg-El. The man seemed to be studying his surroundings with a detached calm.

"Mala should have their security occupied." Seyg-El said and as if to confirm this, a high pitched whine drifted from further down the corridor. The entire ship shuddered.

Reaching out Seyg-El pressed a small object against a blank space next to a nearby door which slid open. Turning he handed James an octagonal disc with strange symbols engraved on the edges. "Place this upon any space as you saw me do and it will open the door or bio-chamber. Follow this hallway, do not take any of the branching halls, and the the research labs will be at the end."

"You sure?" James asked, eyeing the man.

"This is not a permanent research station, but a support craft repurposed for their cursory inquiry into your species. When adapting a ship there are few options for subject storage, and they have long since standardized the layout for their ships in such cases. You should hurry, if they can offload their research or subjects they will return with a more permanent, and far more secure, research station. After which the mass cultivating of your world would begin."

"Right." Victor cheered, clapping James on the shoulder as he passed. "Come along little brother, we have some little green men to say hi to."


	2. Chapter 2

Smallville: X-Men  
A Side Story  
-Memories-  
Pt. 2  
by Geor-sama

* * *

The ship shook, causing James to stumble. It did not help that the halls were too wide, short, and had a curve in the middle. He hated the damn spaceship.

Recovering he ignored Victor's grumbling and continued forward. Up ahead an odd archway blocked by a solid wall barred the way. Like the previous barriers, James stepped to the side and used the octagonal disc that Seyg-El had provided. With a faint hiss of air the wall slid apart, revealing yet another intersection. 

Only this time a startled screech and a flash of greenish-yellow light hit Victor and blasted him off his feet. Victor landed several feet away, with a heavy-thump and in a spray of blood. James stared in disbelief. The last time Victor took a hit anything like that had been during Gettysburg from a Napoleon twelve pounder. 

Harsh voices pulled James attention away from the prone Victor and back to the other side of the door. He might not understand a word, but he knew that tone. They were confused and he needed to hit them now before they got their bearings. 

He threw himself around the doorway and barreled into the small group.

The first Krolotean tried to get its gun on target, but James caught the barrel and shoved it to the left. The weapon blasted one of its companions in the same instant that James raked his claws across its chest. Instead they slid off the hard surface like hitting stone, but he adjusted in mid-motion and tore its throat out instead. James spun as dark green blood sprayed, using the fancy rifle as a makeshift club to bash in the skull of the next Krolotean. As it collapsed in a bloody heap, James jumped for the next one and grabbed its head. His other hand slammed his claws into its eye and silenced it forever.

Yanking his claws free he let the body fall.

"Slayas"

Head whipping around at the shout James found the last two fleeing, weapons discarded on the ground. He lunged forward and caught the slowest one and drove his claws into the back of its odd shaped skull. Then seizing its legs used it as a projectile to take the last one down. The last Krolotean hit the ground hard, momentarily stunned. Just as it started trying to pull itself free, James grabbed its shoulder and rolled it over. It stared up at him, eyes widening in horror as he delivered the death blow.

Panting and covered in dark green blood, James' hands shook as he tried to calm the rabid animal clawing to get free. After a moment he took shaky steps away from the dead Krolotean...before a bestial howl filled the hall.

James froze.

With deliberate slowness, he turned to find Victor standing in the hallway behind him. His brothers shoulders heaved, and his face filled with an animalistic snarl. Victor’s eyes had nothing human in them. Only pure predator rage.

"Vic, don't you do it." James warned, seconds before his brother charged...

* * *

...his scent was everywhere, sour butter mixed with wet dog. James raced through the mountain forest. Behind him his cabin burned and with it the bloodied, violated body of Kayla. Victor was going to pay. James would tear his brother's throat out, twist his arms off and beat Victor with them, rip his heart out -

Something large and vicious slammed into him from the side.

Carried him down to the ground, teeth and claws tearing into James' neck and torso. Pain! Forgotten as pure rage rose up and James sank his bone claws into his attacker’s sides and sank his own teeth into their throat...

* * *

"I'm done with this bullshit!" Victor shouted as the spaceship began to shake more violently than ever.

James wanted to snap at his brother, but held his tongue. This was not the time, not after what they saw in that lab. Thinking about it prompted him to glance some of the survivors they were trying to herd out, and he quickly looked away. Their blank gaze, staring out at some unseen and far away thing, left him disturbed. He had seen that look before after Chancellorsville, and Stones River and it had been bad enough seeing it on young soldiers. But somehow seeing women and children with that look made it all the worse.

Another violent shudder went through the ship, and the whole thing seemed to lurch to the side. The survivors screamed and scattered, huddling against the curved walls. Some with arms over their heads, others clutching tight onto one another. Each pale and shaking. The toddler in Victor's arms buried her face in his shoulder and peed herself and Victor's silent snarl promised vicious death to the next Krolotean they met.

Then a body crashed through the ceiling and landed in a crater maybe fifteen feet ahead of them. Groaning a battered looking Mala struggled to her hands and knees. A second later a large figure appeared in front of her so fast that it just seemed to appear from nowhere. Without hesitation it kicked her in the face and sent her flying down the hallway, a loud crack filling the air and the metal walls bowing outward from the force of the impact.

The survivors screaming grew even louder and the thing turned, starting toward them. Whoever or whatever it was, it was wearing black armor with glowing red lines tracing over its surface. The helmet had no features of any kind and it moved with a kind of liquid grace that seemed artificial.

As it drew closer James adopted a more comfortable stance, hands held out the side as he extended his claws. He would not die today, none of these people would. Rather than wait for it James rushed forward, screaming - a blow faster than his eyes could follow hit him.

Hard.

James hit the wall hard enough to crack it and then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Shaking his head he shakily tried to get back to his feet, but then the thing was there, hand around his throat and holding him against the wall. James kicked and clawed, trying to shift the grip and failing to make it even twitch. The glowing red lines began to glow brighter and he could smell his flesh starting to cook -

Then a hand wrenched its hand away from his throat. A second later the monster had been thrown down the hallway, leaving a thoroughly pissed off Mala Kil-Gor standing in its place. She backhanded James aside just as the thing reappeared. A second later the wall behind her caved, clearly from a missed punch. Mala stomped on the side of its knee dropping it to the ground. A punch to the back of the head drove it through the floor, which collapsed from the force of it.

Mala wasted no time going after it. The sound of a massive explosion followed and the entire ship shook and a gout of flames erupted from the hole. The flames hit the ceiling and walls before racing toward the screaming survivors.

James had just enough time to realize they had no hope -

* * *

Never...

Despair hits and smashes and crushes. The people, the memories, all of it gone, swept away in the dark flood.

Had...

Sorrow chokes, suffocates and silences.

Any...

A cacophony of self-hatred, shame, guilt, deafens and blinds.

Hope...

* * *

Director Carter was not happy. It had been a little over a week and they had still not found any traces of the Kryptonian. Personally, James thought they were damn lucky. Mala Kil-Gor's fight against that damn Pacifier had set off an earthquake that leveled San Fran. But if Seyg-El had not been there it would have sank the entire state. Kryptonains were best classified as forces of nature, like a hurricane or an earthquake, but able to think and reason. Which made them even more dangerous.

He had told this to Peggy several times, for all the good it had done. Still James understood why she could not ignore the intrusion and theft. Ever since she took over as Director for the fledgling SHIELD, people had been hounding her, and all of her success had made them more determined to outset her. So if Peggy failed to take action then she'd be putting her position as Director at risk.

Taking a sip of his coffee, James wished he could help her.

That was when the door to the diner opened, and the scent hit him had. Looking up, James found the Kryptonian standing in the diner’s doorway staring at him. James took another sip of his coffee, hoping that things were not about to get out of hand. After a minute the Kryptonian crossed the diner heading right for James, moving with beyond human grace.

The guy had impossibly black hair and eyes so blue they looked white, and near identical features to Seyg-El. When the Kryptonain sat down across him from, James could see hints of Mala Kil-Gor in the shape of his eyes, mouth, and complexion. After a minute James drained the last of his coffee and sat back, waiting for the man to speak.

When the Kryptonian did speak, his voice lacked any hint of accent. "My name is Jor-El. While I find the fact that you've advanced enough to discover The Crystal's original location impressive, I must ask that you do not seek it out again. It is dangerous in ways you are incapable of conceiving."

A beat.

"I've already tried to tell them that. Maybe you should tell them yourself."

"I wish to avoid further conflict. Given that you have interacted with my parents, I know that you can offer a proper frame of reference when explaining."

James grunted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Also convey to to your Director that I am not trying to discourage you. I have full confidence that in time that your world will thrive."

"What a load of bullshit." James said without meaning to. But it was hard for him to believe that. Not with memories of the war so fresh in his memory.

"Oh you will stumble and you will fall. That's inevitable. But in time you will lift yourselves up and eventually you will join us in the cosmos and help us accomplish wonders."

"I don't know how you could ever belief that."

A ghost of a smile touched Jor-El's lips. "When you see as I see, hear as I hear, feel as I feel, it’s hard to believe any different."

 _{That will do, for now.}_ A voice cut in. _{Logan, it is time to come back. Concentrate on your breathing. Ten slow breaths, feel the weight of your body. Be calm and become aware of the way the air stirs your hair and the sound that surrounds you. Concentrate on the feel of the sheets and the smell of the air.}_

The world lurched and became increasingly foggy, the colors growing muted until the disappear altogether. Leaving him in an icy black void, even as he had the sensation of rocketing upward as if shot from a cannon -

* * *

Eyes snapping open he jerked against his restraints, uncertain of where or when he was. Then his mind began filling in missing details and he began to calm down. Relaxing against the straps he tried to control his breathing and his lingering rage.

"That went better than I anticipated."

He said nothing, only turned his head to stare at the other man. Charles remained firmly on the other side of the room, observing him. After a moment he gudied his wheelchair forward and began undoing the cuffs. As soon as his hand was free he wanted to grab Charles by the throat and squeeze. Instead he resisted the instinct and tried to grapple with the new puzzle pieces that had fallen in his lap.

The new memories, disjointed and sharp, slid into place like jagged pieces into a shattered window pane. He had a brother, a psychopath who had been trying to kill him for as long as he could remember. He had faced aliens, seen the second best thing to god's fighting, and found even deeper connections to SHIELD. But more the names Raven and Kayla loomed in the background, inviting even more questions.

If he dwelled on it the edges of those sharp memories threatened to cut him. So instead he forced them away, and instead focused on his howling instincts, urging him to act and escape. He bit his lip hard, refusing to let the animal win. Registering that the last of his restraints release he swung his legs over the side and sat up.

The muscles that controlled his claws tried to tense, but forced them to relax.

"James?"

He snapped his head up and stared at his friend. After a tense moment, Logan relaxed. "Logan."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. That might've been my name before, but right now its too...alien. Like the memories. I can remember it all, but it’s like reading from a movie script."

Charles nodded, interlacing his fingers.

"Very well. But Logan, those memories and that name, they are a part of you. Never forget that, or that you need to reintegrate those memories into your current self."

Logan nodded, glowering at the floor. After a moment he looked back up, now that he was thinking clearly he could smell Charles' worry. His friend looked at least five years older.

"Oh hell, what is it?"

"Hmm?"

"I've seen that look before Chuck."

Charles sighed. "Setting aside what we learned in regards to Clark's potential and the answers we can now offer him, there are implications from your memory of Mala Kil-Gor, or is that Mala-El, and Syeg-El."

"Bad?"

"Potentially. Seyg-El mentioned a race called the Chitauri who were responsible for upsetting humanity's natural evolution. I encountered one during the Cold War, but never learned what exactly they were doing. Now knowing that they are responsible for in the past, I'm even more concerned. Then of course there are the Krolotean, who I doubt have stopped their efforts at studying our world. Indeed, I wonder how many disasters over the last century have been them covering their tracks. Though, being aware of their language should be helpful when we do encounter them again."

"Wait, you know what they were saying?" Logan asked, baffled.

"Surprisingly, yes. I did not expect an alien species to speak an Earth language, especially a fictional one." Charles paused, rubbing his chin. "Though perhaps it is more accurate that Tolkien took his language from them."

"In plain English."

"Sorry, yes. The language of the Kroloteans, it's the Black Speech from The Lord of the Rings." Charles said with a wry smile.

Logan grunted. "God, I need a beer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little late and I'm sorry for that. 
> 
> Also, I'm not entirely happy with the fight scenes. They work, but I just feel like they could have been better - but that could just be me. Anyway, I hope you got some kind of enjoyment out of the chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Notes:
> 
> First, please a moment of silence for the passing of Stan Lee. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
> 
> Second, I don't own anything here. As stated by my countless other disclaimers. I was tempted to not add one, but decided to live dangerously by posting it at the end here.
> 
> Third this takes place during the last chapter of Smallville: X-men during Clark's Date and Evan's showdown with Pietro. Why I didn't include it was simple: It threw the flow of the chapter off and took focus away from Clark and Evan. Still, I did need to share it, so here we are. It also starts filling in some of the background details for my wider universal lore, some of it is hidden within the Krolotean speech...so have with that.
> 
> Hint: In comics the Krolotean language is German, which I tried first. But I didn't like it, so I tried the screeching that they used on Young Justice, but there's just no way to portray that well in a written format. So I decided to cheat and use the Black Speech from LOTR. There are some nice translators out there and some Easter eggs sprinkled in the dialogue.
> 
> Also, over on Fanfiction.net it was brought to my attention by DarkghostX that I should list where I translated my Black Speech from. It seems that I made a mistake in thinking that the Black Speech from LOTR would be standardized and that all translators would be the same. This was my bad. As such, I used lingojam,com/BlackSpeechTranslator , and angelfire,com/ia/orcishnations/orcishphrases,html to fill in a few missing words
> 
> The next and last chapter for this side story will be out in December (if all goes well).
> 
> Kryptonian Language Guide: 
> 
> “⑄ ∝ (Mfltzt z'rh = Krolotean!)
> 
> "⑀ ≗" (Uwl: Children)
> 
> "⊸⌻⊬ ≠ ╽╿⍢⌻⍚╹╽╿┌ ⋄╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ⍤〡╽╿⍢╹╽╿⊨ ┌╽╿⊸⌺⊨ ⍢⌏∾⌻⍚⑆⋄ ⍚⌻┌⌏⊸╹╽╿┌ ≟" (ya'an la ashot nanoke lasof tavef sichrn mtivot: Why can you not collect commemorative coins?)
> 
> "╽╿⍚⌻ ⍢⌻⍚ ╽╿⌍∙╽╿⑆ ⌑╽╿⍚⌀ ╹╽╿⍚⌻⌺⑆ ﹌ ╽╿⊸╹╽╿∎╽⌻⍚⍘ ╽╿∎╽ ≈ ≆ ⋣⑇⋄ ╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ⋣╽╿⍤〡╽╿⌻⍚ ⍚⌀╹╽╿ ≗" (am sh azar xap omer ona advodh' ad akhar' San msgert kun anoke kalah po: If it helps I promise to serve until sunset tomorrow after we finish here)
> 
> "╽╿⌍∙ ⌑╽╿⍚⌀ ⋄╽╿⊸ ╽╿⋄╹╽╿⋣⌺ ﹌ ╽∎⌺⋄╽╿ ⌠⌾⌡ ⌻⍚╽╿⌏╽╿╽∎⌺⑆ ⌡⌽⌠ ⍤〡╽╿⌏┌⊬ ⌺┌ ⍚⌀╽╿⋄╽╿⍘ ⌌ ⋩ ≗" (az xap nav anoke ona bena Rao haiaber Cythonna laity et qana', zehār'tōre: Then I expect us to make Rao and Cythonna jealous, my little dove)


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